Summer Schedule:

+Starting Saturday, July 2nd we will not have Saturday

5:30 PM Vigil Liturgies

+We will resume the normal liturgical schedule starting

on September 4th

+First Friday Adoration and Benediction will resume on

Friday, September 2nd

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS!

Basket Collection from July 10, 2016

$1.147.00

Feast days on the Maronite calendar which we celebrate this week:

Wednesday, July 20th- ST. Elias the Prophet Saturday, July 23RD- St. Sharbel

May all the Angels and saints s in heaven pray for us.

St. Marina, the Monk of Qannoubine- Feast Day- July 17 According the current Maronite Synaxarium, "Marina was born in Qlamoun North Lebanon.

Her father was a pious man. Her mother died while Marina was very young. This has made her

father renounce the world and leave for the Monastery of Qannoubine in the Holy Valley;

accompanying him was his daughter, whom he dressed like a man. Both father and daughter

entered into monkshood without revealing the identity of the daughter to the monks. As a monk

she was known by the name Marinos.

Although young, Marinos occupied himself with the practice of monastic virtues with

utmost spirit and minuteness. He was silent and reticent with bowed head and eyes, making of

his cowl a veil concealing the features of his face and eyes.

One day he was sent to a neighboring town on a mission for the Monastery. He was

obliged to spend the night at the house of a friend of the monks named Paphnotius.

Paphnotius had a young girl who had fallen into adultery and was found pregnant.

Upon finding out, her father was enraged and demanded the name of the perpetrator. His

daughter told him that Marinos the Monk had raped her the night he spent in their house. Her

father went straight to the Monastery and told the Superior, who was surprised for he knew that

Marinos is a pious and pure man.

The Superior called Marinos and scolded him, but Marinos said nothing to defend himself. Consequently, the Superior was

very perplexed and considered Marinos’ silence to be an admission of guilt. He then sentenced Marinos to dismissal and to be

thrown outside the Monastery. Marinos resigned himself to the will of God and stayed at the door of the Monastery praying and

crying, living off the leftovers of the monks’ food. His father had long since died. When the daughter delivered, the grandfather

brought the child, a boy, to the Monastery and threw him to Marinos saying: take and raise your son.

Marinos took the boy and began raising him with what the monks used to bring to him of goat milk and of leftovers from

their table. This situation lasted four years. Marinos carried the shame of this hideous accusation without any complaints. However,

the Superior had compassion for him and let him enter the Monastery under very strict conditions. Marinos accepted while

shedding the tears of repentance.

Marinos persevered in his ascetic work until the hour of his death when the features of his face glowed with a heavenly

light. He asked forgiveness from all and he forgave all those who sinned against him. He then gave up his spirit. The Superior then

ordered that his body be prepared for burial outside the Monastery.

It was a great moment of astonishment when the monks found that Marinos was a woman and not a man. The Superior and the

monks fell on their knees before the pure cadaver, asking God and the soul of the holy saint forgiveness. As for the father of the

sinful daughter, he was ashamed and came to make his statement before everyone. As for the daughter, she spent her life crying and

repenting at the tomb of the saint.

The sanctity of Marina spread all over Lebanon, people from all its regions came to the Monastery of Qannoubine to be

blessed by her body. Her tomb became a source of cures and graces." (Daher 1996: 189-190)

This account on the life, legend, and relics of Saint Marina the Monk tells us but little about her passion, suffering, and

humiliation. The Maronites remain to this day fascinated by this Saint. Among them, there is almost a righteous anger against the

injustice that was done to her. To this day, her name is intertwined with that of the Monastery of Qannoubine and her nearby grotto

is a reminder of her chastity, obedience, asceticism, humility, forgiveness, and sainthood.

O Mount Lebanon, your glory has been exalted; O Monastery of Qannoubine, your joy has increased

Because Marina, the pride of your monks. In this monastery has increased your fame.

All with the help of God's mighty right hand. You rebuked men for

their lack of faith;

And were greatly zealous for the Living God,

And the Church celebrates you as its prophet.

Your mighty works amazed the entire world:

All your prophecies were fulfilled.

You were alive and whole in body and soul,

Wherefore death had no part in you.

O prophet of God in both soul and body:

Glory! We exclaim to you with joyful souls

Oh Lord, who was bestowed on Saint

Charbel the grace of faith, I plead to you to

grant me through his intercession that divine

grace to live according to your

commandments and Bible.

Oh, Saint Charbel pray for me.

Oh Lord, who was bestowed on Saint

Charbel the grace of faith, I plead to you to

grant me through his intercession that divine

grace to live according to your

commandments and Bible.

Feast of Saint Elias Wednesday July 20

Hymn of Praise: Saint Elias the Prophet

O fiery man, Prophet Elias,

You shone on earth with heavenly

radiance

And pleased the Lord by your prayers:

You closed the heavens, and from

Heaven, brought down fire -

Feast of Saint Sharbel

Saturday July 23

Oh, Saint Charbel

pray for me

Jo

in U

s !!!

St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church 750 Medford Street, El Cajon, CA 92020

Tel: 619-337-1350

stephrem@sbcglobal.net

www.stephremchurch.com

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Interested in the Priesthood or Religious Life? EPARCHY OF OUR LADY OF LEBANON Vocations Director:

July 17, 2016

Volume 18-Issue 29

Pastor:

Reverend Toufic Nasr

Deacon Georges Ghosn

Deacon George Geagea

House of Maron

GENERAL INFORMATION

Liturgies:

Saturday………………………. 5:30PM (Except July & August)

Sunday

………………………….9:30AM

……………... ………..11:00AM

……………... ………..12:30 PM

Confessions

by Appointment

First Friday Adoration Noon

until Benediction at 6:00PMther

Baptism: Contact the office to

schedule

Religious Education: Saturdays

from 11am-12pm

First Communion Class: Sunday

from 1030AM to 12:30AM- To

register, please contact the parish

office.

Matrimony: Please contact the

parish office at least eight months

prior to the desired date

Parish Office Hours: Monday

through Friday 8:00AM to 4:00PM

Divine Liturgy Intentions:

Day: Date: Time: Offered For/By:

Saturday 7/16 5:30PM NO LITURGY

Sunday-

7/17 9:30AM

11:00AM (M) Khalid Putros, Antwan Putros, JoJo

Tweiny and Andre Askar offered by the

Family

12:30PM (M) John Bashouri and Jan and Janette

Toma offered by Hikmet and Zinia

Bashouri

7/23 5:30PM Liturgy for Feast of St. Sharbel

7/24 9:30AM

11:00AM

12:30PM

Saturday 7/30 5:30PM NO LITURGY

Sunday 7/31 9:30AM

11:00AM

12:30PM

Beit Maroun

TENTH WEEK OF PENTECOST

Readings:

1Cor 12:1-11 Mt 12:22-32

Sunday, July 31- Feast of the 350 Martyrs, Disciples of St. Maron

Saturday, July 23-Feast of St. Sharbel

Pope Francis’ General Prayer Intentions

for July 2016:

Let us Pray-That indigenous peoples,

whose identity and very existence are

threatened, will be shown due respect.

Amen